Articulated tongue for trailers



March 4, :1930. L. WILLIAMS 1,748,967

ARTICULATED TONGUE FOR TRAILERS Filed Nov. 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Shee l Z Mel; far".

6 1% i m M jj vd mi .z 534570112 896 ifer March 4, 1930. L. E. WILLIAMS 1,743,967

I ARTICULATED TONGUE FOR TRAILERS I Filed Nov. 26. 1926 2 Sheets-=Shee 2 V more fully described.

Patented Mar. 4, 1930' LUNQITEQ, zedres,

COMPANY, OF nnennronfwrsconsrn, A CORPORATION on WISCONSIN ARTICULATED TO GUE FOR- TRAILER-s Application fi1d- NoveIrber 26,1926, Serial 110,150,658.

This invention relates to steering mechanism for vehicles, :)articularly of the-horsedrawn "type, and its =0bj ect is to facilitate the oper'ation of such vehicles in close quarters,

- as for example, in turning the corners of narrow {streets or alleys. It consists of certain features and elements of construction in combination as herein'shown and described, and as indicated by the claims, In the drawings $11 1 1 Figure lis a side elevation partly insection showing a drattt'on'gue embodying {this inyefnt-ion. T Figure, 2 is a top plan view with certain 15 parts bro'kenlaway; Figure-3 isa detail sectionona la'rgerscale, taken as indicated at line 3+3 on Figure 1.-

Figure '4 is a 'detai-l s'ection'taken:as indi' Catt-5d at line 41-4011 FigureZ. V I Figure 5 isa top plan View taken partly in:

section as indicatedatliner55 on Figure 4'. Figures-6, -7 and- 8 are diagrammatic iplanv views representing a vehicle at 'sev'eral'sta'ges; c I

bar, 12,0Ithe usual constructlon-is mount-ed Y l in theproc'ess of makingaturn as hereinafter While this "invention may be applicable to four-wheel vehicles of standard .wagoni construction, it has been particularly,-designed with reference to a four-Wheel trailer-Which is 30 arrangedto be drawn either by a motor truck ortractoflorby a team of hor'sesfas may be determined by convenience. Such a vehicle has at least one pair oif wheels mounted for steering adj ustment,'and as shown in the dia 1 articulated tongue are held iii-alignment {by grams, Figures 6,7 and 8, the steering mecha I njis'm'is similar to that employed on aut0mo-' V biles and trucks in'which the two wheels are connected to'theaxleby verticalpi-vots near their respective hubs, and are then operated byf'any suitable linkage for-turning simultaneouslyabouttheseverticalpivots; In sucha vehicle, whetherrconnected to a motor tractor-or to aftea'm ofhorsesfihereis a' d'raw bar,

' -1, pivotally attached to the vehicle frame for swinging from side tofside and "suitably connectedwi'th the steering linkage for efiecting Steeringadjustment of the frontwheels. 'The draw bar, 1, is provided with'a suitable cou-' p le'rhead, -2',- inwhich anyforrn Drama-mam:

ber may be inserted. I kss hown in thevdraww- A NTJerri-e5 LEROY ILLIAMs, onnnennrom w-rsconsrn, .ns sien'on 'ro HiGHwAY Term ings, the draft member 'employedlfor use with i I a team oii-horses is a'tongue, 3,'having a rear and a'metalcastin'g,-8, on its upper-side,'and

section, 4, preferably of metal and securedin these two members form a clevis pivota'lly-em gaged' by the bolt, 6, above an'd below the member, 4. The casting, 8, extends rear:

wardlyover the member, 4, widening into an arcuate portion, 9, formedwith a curved slot,

10, which is concentric with reference tothe pivot, 6, so that when the tongue, 3, swings laterally about its pivot, 6, the slot, 10, trav erises a gnide stud, 11, upstanding the For attaching the drafthorsesan even'er onto'p of the casting, 8, just back got the pivot bolt, 6. ,A sleeve,-13, engaging the upper end of the boltand formed with lugs, '14 and 1'5, l embracing the evener bar, 12, provides the I I i for reinforcing'the bolt, 6.

Normally the two parts,"3 and. 4,;of the I latch "bolts, 17, extending downwardly t'rom the casting,8, which is-ri'gid with tliememmember, 4, and the swing of the tongue, 3, :70

" is limited'i-n either direction by encounter of the ends of the slot, 10,'Wl13l1 thestucl, 11.

'12, to a poi-nt'of anchorage on the casting, 8, v

her, 3) to engage opposite sides otthe' mem portion ofthe latch, 17, whereit projects/ j throu h a ho'usin 21 formedas an 'in'te 'ra'l v I: r p 7 D part of'the casting, 8, serving to enclose Ia spring, 22, reacting downwardly upon the her, '4', as shown cl'ea'rlyin Figure These latch," 17, to hold it normally inlockingposi i ti'on. The drawings show a -raifsed-ra1 'uponlwhich* tl1e driver" norrnally rests i 'l feet, and the pedals, 18, are within easy reach of a driver occupying this position.

In Figure 6 I have illustrated a steering linkage which may be understood as sub stantially that shown in Patent No. 1,385,361, to C. Cr. Clement, and in which the wheels, 25, are mounted on the stub axles connected by vertical pivots, 26, to the axle member, 27.

The draw bar, 1, is pivoted at 28 above the center of the axle, 27, and is connected by individual drag links, 29, 29, to the steering knuckle arms associated with the pivots, 26. These knuckle arms are also transversely connected by a tie rod, 30, and the inner ends of the drag links, 29, are attached to the draw bar, 1, by means of a short. equalizer lever more fully described in said Clement patent. The mechanism serves to cause steering movement of the wheels, 25, when the draw bar, 1, is swung to one side or the other ofits middle position. It is quiteusual in a four-wheel trailer to make both ends alike so that the vehicle may be operated with equal facility in either direction. In this case draw bars are provided at both ends and locking means is located at each end of the frame for holding one draw bar or the other in its middle position so that the wheels serving as the rear wheels of the trailer will be held rigidly in straight-ahead position like the rear wheels of a wagon. A look for this purpose is described in Patent No. 1,574,469, to C. G. Clement, and the housing containing a somewhat similar lock is indicated at 31 in the drawings, provided with a crank handle, 32, which can be operated to simultaneously depress or per mit simultaneous automatic raising of the locking dogs or latches. When the vehicle is being operated,'such locking means at the forward end of the frame will be retracted upwardly into the casing, 31, and therefore are not visible in Figures 1 to 5. However,

' for thevprurposes of the present invention, I

mount in each of the locking casings, 31, a pair of supplemental latches, 33, which are vertically slidable for engaging one or both sides of the draw bar, 1, and which are normally held upward out of engagement with the draw bar by means of springs, 34, shown above the casing, 31. The springs, 34, engaged under the heads of bolts, 35, which form rigid extensions of the latches, 33, and being disposed on the end member, 36, of the frame, are within convenient reach of the drivers heel, so that he can depress either one of the latches, 33, at will. 3

Figures 6, 7 and 8 represent the intersection of narrow roadways or alleys, A and B, and indicate diagrammatically the various positions of the trailer asit is advanced from the roadway, A, into the roadway, B; During the first stage, as indicated in Figure 6, the horses are driven straight forward as far as possible, practicallyto the far side of the "L road, B,; so that the tongue, 3, stands across B, and during such advance the latch, 33, is

released to allow the draw bar, 1, to swing and turn the steering wheels, 25, as shown in Figure 7. From this pointthe advance of the vehicle is in an oblique direction, tending to carry the vehicle body toward the corner, C, of the intersection and where the roadways are extremely narrow as indicated in the drawings, the turn may be completed by un locking the draw bar, 1 at the rearof the vehicle and inserting a short pole in its coupler for manipulating the steering mechanism at the rear by hand, so that as the vehicle advances the rear end of the body may be directed in a curved path to clear the corner, C. Meanwhile, the tongue, 3, will have completed the turn and come into alignment with the roadway, B, allowing the horses to travel straight forward in that road, and as the vehicle swings into line with the tongue, 3, the sloping face of the latch,17, will allow it to ride over the member, 4, and snap down into locking position as the parts 3 and 4 come I intoalignment. I 7

Thus the-jointed connection of the tongue at 6 permits the vehicle to be maneuvered in narrow alleys where it could not be used at all if the tongue were rigid. This'is perhaps of more importance when combined with the automobile type of steering mechanism because the latter seldom permits as much as a forty-five degree turn of the wheels, 25, and therefore precludes swinging the tongue at nearly ninety degrees to the body as can be done with the standard wagon equipped-with the fifth wheel steer. Y

I claim: i Y Y 1. In a vehicle having dirigible wheels and a draft member by which they may be steered, a tongue 'pivotally attached to the draft member for lateral movement, with automatic locking means rearwardly of said pivotal connection normally holding said tongue in alignment with the draft member and releasable at will by the driver in his driving position on the vehicle.

, 2. In a vehicle having dirigible wheels and a draft member by which they may be steered, a tongue pivotally attached to the draft member for lateral movement with respect thereto, and means on the tongue and draft member rearwardly of said pivotal connection limiting the swing of said tongue about such pivotal. connection. i

I 3. In a vehicle having dirigiblewheels and a draft member, by which they'may be ste'eredya tongue pi-votally attached to the draft member for lateral movement, yieldable locking means normally holding said v tongue in alignment with the draft member 1 releasable at will and yieldingly returnable to locking position while the tongue remains out of alignmen'h said locking means ineluding a-camsurface permitting said means to yield as the tongue returns .to aligned po- 1 sition, and adapting the lock'for automatic I parts'in alignment, together with means for Withdrawing either latch at will.

draftn'iember for lateral movement with respect thereto, locking means for normally holding said tongue in alignment with the draft member comprising a pair of yieldable latches engaging opposite sides'of said member, additional locking means yieldably engageable at will with the draft member for opposing its movement away from central straightaheadposition, actuating means for, releasing the tongue-locl'ring devices at will singly or simultaneously, and actuating.

means for operatingthe draftmember lock,

both disposed in reach of the driver in his driving position. i

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Edgerton, jWisconsin, this 22 day of November, 1926. i

- LEROY'E. WILLIAMS.

5. In the combination defined in claim at, V

each of vsaid latches-having a beveled face adapted to-ridei over the overlapped part for" automatic re-enga gernent therewith after "misalignment and, return of the parts to aligned position.

6. Ina vehicle having dirigible' c wheels and a draft member by which they may be steered,'atongue pivotally attached to the" draft member for lateral movement with re- 7 I spect thereto, and locking means engageable at will with the draft member for opposing its movement away from central straight I ahead position, comprising a pair of latches normally held yieldinglyat inoperative position and adapted to be moved singly or simult-aneously into engagement with the sides of I the draft member. V

V 7 In the combination defined in claim 8. In a vehicle having dirigible wheels Q steered, atongue pivotally attached'to the draft member for lateral movementwithgre- 'spect thereto, and an evener pivotally mounted at a point co-aXial withsaid-piv-1 .Eotal'connection; y g

9; In a vehicle having dirigible wheels 6, additionallocking means normally holde ingsaid tongue in alignment with the draft 1. I member and releasable at will.

land a draft member by which they may be M and a draft member by which they may be r steered, a tongue p'ivota'llyattached to the draft member for lateral movement with respectthereto, locking means normally hol'dings'aid tongue in'alignment with the'draft member andreleasable'at will, together with an evener pivoted; to the tongue at the axis of said pivotal'connection and adapted to swing about said axis independentlyofsaid locking means.

f 10. In a vehicle having dirigible wheels and a draft member by which'they may be I steered, a tongue 'pivotally attached" to the 

